Freakfest Hitting State Street on Saturday

It’s interesting to me that what I remember from my youth as a rowdy, crowded party night on State Street has now turned in to an event now known as Freakfest. 

I like the fact that there are some great bands headlining this event.  I love the fact that at least last year, the night went off without much incident.  I’m just not sure I want to pay to participate.

This more than likely has to do with the fact that 5 years ago I was referred to as “the old guy” when I was watching the parade of great characters walk State Street.  Old Guy?!?   Listen missy!  I was on state street in the early 1980’s when the crowds were estimated to top over 100,000 each and every Halloween.  I’m part of the reason this tradition still lives on!

OK, I’ll calm down.  I will miss seeing the creativity of the youth.

To find out what’s happening during the night, click this link.

Evita is a Must See

Four Season Theater’s most recent production, “Evita” is a definite must see.

Problem is, it closed today. There’s 1 matinee and if you’re at all a fan of this show, you owe it to yourself to be at the Wisconsin Union Theater for today’s performance.

I’ve been a fan of Four Season Theater since I saw one of their first productions a few years ago of Ragtime at the Middleton Performing Arts Center. The current production, Evita, is of the same caliber. In my humble opinion this is one of the best “community” theater organizations ever in Madison.

First the highlights-Chad Grote as main character Che is right on the mark. His vocals are clear, concise and wonderful to hear. His emotional control of the character comes through clearly in every scene and makes him a joy to watch as a true singer/actor vs. an actor who can sing somewhat or a singer who can slightly act. His the real deal and his talent shines through. My only criticism is the bad hair he dons for the role. I don’t believe it was his own as it looked very wig-like. If that’s the worst thing I can find in his performance, I had to look very hard!

L. Joe Dahl performance of Peron is equally as strong. His downplayed, subtle stage presence was perfect against the strength of character in Eva. Vocally he was right on the mark as well. Again, a strong addition to an already wonderful cast.

Amanda Poulson truly steals the show as Eva Peron. She actually almost made me feel sorry for the character as she fell ill in the story line, and most of you know the rest. Vocally again very strong and wonderful to listen to. Her command of the lyrics were clear and concise as well—a must in pulling off a show like this.

Other notables were Robert Goderich as the used Magaldi. His slightly schmaltzy rendition of a tango singer was right on the mark. Samantha Mae Bock, as the jilted mistress of Peron truly grabbed the audition in her performance of “Another Suitcase in Another Hall”.

The large cast (29 actors) was strong as well both vocally and surprisingly, in their choreography. Not always easy to pull off in community-type theater. Once again Four Seasons did it all very well.

My only critic of the show would have been the orchestra—not always as strong as the cast came across and quite often too loud to be able to hear the singers….there were some beautiful orchestrations within the show but the opening number “Requieum” made it seems as if the orchestra wasn’t quite ready for the show last night.

Don’t let that stop you, though. Evita is sure to please.

Showtimes are today, August 23, 2009 at 2:00 p.m. Get your tickets by clicking here.

Myles Teddywedgers…A Great Lunch Downtown

If you find yourself on the square at lunch time, don’t overlook the unassuming triangle shaped storefront at the top of State Street where State/Carroll and Mifflin Streets all intersect. This unassuming little “hole in the wall” is some of the best food I’ve had.

What is it? Why it’s Myles Teddy Wedgers Cornish Pasty located at 101 State Street.

What’s a pasty? First it’s pronounced “pass-tee” and certainly is not to be confused with something that might adorn certain stripper body parts. It’s a traditional Cornish meal made to be eaten while on the move. Sort of the Cornish version of a burritto I’d think. In the traditional form it’s a pastry “turnover” stuffed with meat, potatoes and onions. Myles puts a different spin on this traditional fare with offerings of a “Big Cheesy” with mozzarella cheese, ground beef and pizza sauce. The Veggie Wedgie for those wanting a meatless option and a Chicken Pie filled with chicken, peas, corn, carrots, cheese and a white cream sauce.

The Super Pizza is an awesome lunch on the go and my current favorite. 1/2 a Teddywedger is more than enough for even the biggest appetite. I always save room for dessert of an M&M Cookie. They are made fresh daily and are worth the trip in to the store just for a cookie.

I’ve tried some of the other pasties as well. The traditional is very good. The crust is flaky and light and the fillings are robust.

Top this all off is the friendly staff and you’ve got a really great, inexpensive dining experience.

Concerts on the Square…A Few Rules

From the Capitol Police department are the following reminders:

STATE CAPITOL POLICIES:

• Blankets placed before 3 p.m. will be removed.

• Do not dump alcohol on the lawn; it kills the grass.

• No rocks, bricks, stakes or tarps on the Capitol lawn.

• Use only low height chairs on the lawn, with (6 inch) tubular, “U”-shaped legs.

• No tables with standard legs.

• No animals.

BE RESPECTFUL OF YOUR NEIGHBORS:

• Please refrain from talking during the concert.

• Limit smoking and burning of incense and citronella candles.

Thank you for your cooperation,

and enjoy the concert!

Concerts on the Square Begins Tonight

One of my favorite Madison traditions, is the WI Chamber Orchestra’s “Concerts on the Square”. This annual tradition typically begins the last Wednesday evening of June and runs every Wednesday through the month of July.

Tonight’s concert is “Rachmaninov Rhapsody” and if the weather allows the concert to go on, proves to be a great start to the season.

To find out more, visit the Chamber Orchestra’s website at http://ping.fm/DZUF6

Dane County Farmer’s Market Soon To Begin

As one of the usual signs that winter has passed and we’re out of the snow and cold of  Wisconsin winter, the Dane County Farmer’s Market will resume on the capitol square next Saturday, April 18.

The Summer market runs every Saturday from 6:00 a.m. until 2 p.m.  For best selection and lowest crowds to deal with, come early.

Here are some does and don’t’s.

Do:  Bring your own bag and help save on waste

Don’t:  Bring your dog(unless it’s a service dog), they are not allowed on the square during Farmer’s Market.

Do:  Bring a laid back attitude.  It can get very crowded.  Chill and enjoy the people, the produce and the views.

Don’t: Get hooked on a cell phone conversation and continue to walk amidst the crowd while engrossed in conversation.  We don’t care to hear who did what with whom last night.

Do:  Stop and ask the vendor questions.  I’ve learned a lot about how to cook with some of the produce that I never would have imagined had I not asked. 

Don’t:  Stop in the middle of the sidewalk and visit with friends you met at the market.  Be courteous and step to the side of the sidewalk away from the vendor booth to visit.  Notice I said away from the vendor booth.  They are there to sell products, don’t hinder that by blocking their stand.

Do:  Be adventurous in what you buy to eat.  I discovered a vegetable I never imagined last year and now it’s a staple in our kitchen.  Fennel bulbs are awesome and can be found by mid-summer at the market. 

Don’t:  Chain smoke while in the middle of the crowd.  OK this is my own private don’t but please be courteous.  I’m a guy who bartended in smokey bars for 10 years in Chicago.  Now a cigarette bothers me outside when in a crowd.

I hope that doesn’t come down too heavy handed.  I just love the market and want to make sure everyone can enjoy this great Madison tradition.

Visit their website for even more information.  You can find that by clicking here.

I’ll see you at the market!

Nick’s-A Friendly Place On State Street

Since moving downtown a little over 1 year ago, I’ve found that I tend to wander back to the same places for lunch week after week.  One of my favorites is Nick’s Restaurant at 226 State Street.  What do I like about Nick’s?  A lot of things.  Their pricing for one, their beer selection (but not always at lunch for me) as another.  The fact that there’s still some great Greek menu items is yet another.  Finally the friendliness and laid back attitude of the staff and clientele is really what brings me back in.

Stopped there today on my walk back from the hardware store.  Sat at the bar and ordered a Gyro with fries and a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.   The gyro was a plate full of pita, meat and the freshest tomatoes I’ve had since last summer.  The food came out within 5 minutes of my order and was good to the last forkfull.

Lunch came to $12.96

What surprised me is that there were only 6 other diners the entire time I was at the bar.  This was noon hour in central Madison.  Where was everyone?  The thought that lunch might go away at Nick’s scares me.

It’s nothing fancy.  In fact it has the friendly feel of my old hangout in Chicago, The Golden Waffle at Broadway and Peterson Avenues.  It’s like the place on “Rules of Engagement” where the main characters always seem to eat.  I love that feeling as a local “hang out” in the middle of the city.

Don’t miss the Fish Fry on Friday nights as well.  It’s very good and it won’t kill you budget for food either.  Add a brandy old fashioned to your meal and you’ll truly get a Wisconsin Friday night experience.

What? Snow on March 28th?

That’s right.  March may have come in like a lion, lived like a lamb for some of the month.  (I golfed 18 holes in a light windbreaker last weekend)  And now hit us like a lion again.

Central Madison has recieved almost 2″ already today and it just started snowing 2hours ago.

Gotta love life in Wisconsin!

You Know the Ecomony is Bad when….

I had lunch with a guy in Waukesha this past Thursday and he relayed a story that not only had me laughing so hard I almost fell out of my chair, but it also brought home a sad commentary on the state of things for many people.

The story went like this:

My friend, Sam (changed to protect the innocent) has a young family, runs a very fast paced business so occasionally needs to “escape” somewhere for peace and quiet.  He’s discovered one of his most enjoyable “escapes” is the public library.  On this night, that’s what he chose to do.  During his time there, “duty called” and as he told the story he grabbed some reading material because it would take a while. 

He “finished the job” and just as he was about to finish the “paperwork” he realized none existed.  That’s right, the stall he was in had no toilet paper.  Being the industrious guy that he is he thought about what he should do.  He’d used this facility before and remembered that there wasn’t even a paper towel dispenser in this bath, just a fan dryer.  The reading material he brought with him wasn’t an option either.  So guess what, he decided to “phone a friend”.  He called one of his buddies, asked him not to laugh if he told him of his dilemma.  He promised he wouldn’t but couldn’t help it when he described his predicament.  Anyway, he asked his buddy to look up the phone number for the front desk at the library.  He gave him the number and he proceeded to call the library front desk to request someone bring a roll of TP to him in the bath.

He made the call, shortly thereafter, Ron the buidling engineer arrived with the needed paper and handed it to him under the stall.  Ron then asked that Sam return the roll to the front desk when he finished with it.  Sam then asked why he couldn’t just leave it there for the next poor soul and was told this sad story.

Over the past few weeks there’s been a rash of burglaries at the public library involving massive amounts of toilet paper being stolen.  In fact, they have now even put locks on the dispenser and still the thieves come in and pull all of the paper off of the rolls and walk out with it.   Ron shared with Sam that over 40 rolls had been stolen that week alone.

Man, times must really be tough when TP is now on the most stolen list.

Madison Winter Fest to Hit The Square this Weekend

In spite of the 40+ degree temps, cooler weather is promised for the annual transformation of the capitol square in to a winter wonderland of ski trails and all things wintery and outdoors. 

It’s the annual Madison Winterfest.  The square will be transformed into a large cross country ski loop.  There’ll be huge mounds of snow at the State Street entrance, etc….

To find out more, visit the website by clicking here.